‘写实’ (xiě shí) is an adjective describing an artistic style that aims to depict subjects—people, animals, objects, or scenes—as they appear in real life, with accurate proportions, textures, lighting, and details. The character 写 (xiě) originally means 'to write' but in art terminology carries the sense of 'to render' or 'to portray'; 实 (shí) means 'real', 'true', or 'substantial'. Together, they literally mean 'to portray the real', emphasizing fidelity to observable reality rather than abstraction, stylization, or imagination.

This term is widely used in visual arts—painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography—to distinguish realistic representation from impressionistic, symbolic, or surrealist approaches. It’s especially common when discussing traditional Chinese ink painting techniques that strive for lifelike animal or figure depictions, as well as modern oil paintings or documentary photography grounded in observable truth. While not limited to animals, it frequently appears in contexts like wildlife illustration, anatomical sketches, or portrait commissions where accuracy matters.